Best Safari Parks in Africa
When you think of safari, you immediately think of Africa! / Best Safari Parks in Africa
Introducing the top 10 national parks of the fascinating continent! Here are the best safari parks in Africa…
Watching elephants, lions, giraffes, rhinos and other wild animals, enjoying the beauty of the bush, admiring the crimson sunsets shimmering over the Serengeti or seeing the magnificent view of Table Mountain with your own eyes? Africa is brimming with potential adventures, and nowhere can you experience more at once than in the continent’s national parks. We have compiled the 10 most beautiful ones for you!
1. Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Probably the most famous national park in the entire continent. Kruger National Park in north-eastern South Africa was established in 1898 and covers an area of 19,600 square kilometers. This place is famous for its “Big Five” as well as magnificent natural landscapes. Lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards and buffaloes. You can find them all in Kruger National Park, plus more than 140 species of mammals, more than 500 species of birds, a total of 114 species of reptiles, 49 species of fish and 34 species of amphibians. Anyone who loves wild animals should definitely see this place.
2. Serengeti National Park, Mara, Tanzania
We continue from the east coast of Africa to Tanzania, another region that everyone has probably heard of: Serengeti National Park has existed since 1951 and was even declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. Here you can go on safaris in an area of approximately 14,750 square kilometers and be enchanted not only by wild animals such as antelope, elephant, leopard or crane, but above all by the unique landscape of the seemingly endless grassy plains of the savannah.
3. Masai Mara National Park, Narok County, Kenya
Just north of the Serengeti National Park, the next pearl of African nature park we want to introduce to you is the Masai Mara National Park in Kenya. The area was declared a national park in 1974 and covers just over 1,500 square kilometers. Its landscape is characterized by different types of savannas, primarily grass savannas, but also tree and shrub savannas. This mix also gives the park its name: “Mara” means something like “dotted” or “spotted” – just as grassy land looks “spotted” from the air with little tree gardens. However, in terms of wildlife, the Masai Mara National Park is a Serengeti analogue.
4. South Luangwa National Park, Eastern Province, Zambia
The next great national park on our list that deserves a mention is South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia, established in 1972. The park is special in several ways: on the one hand, there are only two species of animals that can be found in this nature park, which is just over 9,000 square kilometers – Cookson’s antelope and Crawshay’s zebra. South Luangwa National Park offers picturesque landscapes, including a river, where many animals congregate, especially during the dry season in summer – including zebras, giraffes, elephants, crocodiles and hippos. It is one of the most preferred parks especially for photo safaris.
5. Chobe National Park, Chobe, Botswana
Do you like elephants? If your answer is yes, you’ve come to the right place in this wonderful national park, as Chobe National Park in northern Botswana is home to more than 100,000 elephants. Here you can find not only elephants, but also rare Puku antelope, buffalo and many other species of large mammals and birds, which you can observe or photograph in their natural habitat against the backdrop of picturesque bush and tree savannas.
6. Etosha National Park, North Central Namibia, Namibia
Our next park also has a very special feature: Etosha National Park in Namibia, which also includes the lime salt pan of the same name. Etosha Pan is characterized by white, wide plains where almost no grass or other plants grow and will therefore particularly inspire visitors who want to admire not only exotic animals but also unreal landscapes during their African vacation. The park has existed since 1907 and currently covers an area of approximately 30,000 square kilometers and will be greatly expanded in the coming years.
7. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Southern Province, Uganda
The natural rainforest strains in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are home to half the world’s population of critically endangered mountain gorillas. The park, which is approximately 330 square kilometers in size, has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Besides the nearly 400 mountain gorillas, you’ll find nearly a dozen other species of monkeys, elephants, antelopes, and numerous bird species.
8. Victoria Falls National Park, Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe
At just over 23 square kilometers, Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe is one of the smallest national parks in Africa. Established around the idyllic roaring Victoria Falls, the national park is worth seeing during the rainy season between November and March, when the falls are more impressive. You can pump adrenaline with rafting and bungee jumping in the canyon.
9. Masoala National Park, Antsiranana, Madagascar
On the Masoala Peninsula in northern Madagascar you can find a fairly young yet worth-seeing national park: rain and coastal forests, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, lemurs, extraordinary reptiles, chameleons, rare birds and fish, covering an area of approximately 2,400 square kilometers. Countless species of butterflies that offer a riot of colors are also among the beauties of Masoala National Park.
10. Table Mountain National Park, Western Cape, South Africa
Established in 1998, Table Mountain National Park offers visitors the pleasure of rich fauna and flora and picturesque landscapes. It can be wonderfully combined with a Cape Town city trip, where you can enjoy stunning views of the region’s cliffs and shores as you explore the 220 square kilometer park. Access to the park is free. You just have to pay the separate entrance fee at Silvermine Nature Reserve and Boulders beach.
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